XTC Cross-Border Commerce
A customer behavior study to enhance reach, growth, and user experience for a logistics platform.
Project Overview
In 2020, XTC, a company with 10 years of experience in cross-border commerce, tasked me with a complete rebranding and platform overhaul to attract a new customer base. The mission was to create a flawless, premium, and trustworthy user experience.
The project encompassed a web application, a mobile app, and a comprehensive back-office system for streamlined operations. A key feature was a unified tracking system aggregating data from global carriers like DHL and USPS, as well as domestic couriers in the US, UK, Japan, and South Korea.
Role
Chief Marketing & Design UI/UX, Business Analyst & Operations
Duration
6 Months
Client
XTC
Platform
Web Application, Mobile Application
Design Process
1 Research & Discovery
I began with an extensive research phase, analyzing the e-commerce import market and interviewing potential customers to understand their needs, pain points, and expectations for an international shipping service. This involved:
- Interviewing 15 professional importers and online shoppers
- Competitive analysis of 8 logistics and freight forwarding platforms
- Market research on international shipping and customs clearance technologies
- Creating user personas for both individual importers and small businesses
Competitor analysis and logistics feature mapping
User interviews and identifying shipping pain points
2 Wireframing & Ideation
Based on research insights, I created detailed wireframes for the key screens and user flows of the shipping platform. This stage focused on simplifying complex logistics operations:
- Low and high-fidelity wireframes for the quoting and booking process
- Information architecture for package tracking and management
- Navigation structure for both customer-facing and admin dashboards
- User flow mapping for creating a shipment and managing customs documents
Initial wireframes of the shipment creation flow
Package tracking dashboard user flow
Customer tracking package flow
3 Visual Design & Prototyping
With approved wireframes, I moved to visual design, creating a distinctive brand identity and UI system that reflected XTC's commitment to reliability and modernity:
- Created a clean, professional UI with purple and indigo accents signifying trust
- Designed custom components for tracking timelines and shipment status
- Developed a comprehensive UI component library for consistency
- Built interactive prototypes for usability testing with target users
Design for Social Posts
Pay attention to smallest details and create depth for the product.
4 Development & Implementation
Working closely with the development team, I ensured the design was implemented with pixel-perfect precision:
- Frontend development using Vue.js and Tailwind CSS for a responsive experience
- Integration with shipping carrier APIs (DHL, USPS) for real-time tracking
- Responsive design implementation for web and mobile devices
- Performance optimization for handling large volumes of tracking data
Frontend development process
Testing and QA of the tracking system
Results & Impact
Increase in Customer Base
Reduction in Support Inquiries
On-time Delivery Rate
The new platform was a resounding success, leading to significant growth in the customer base and shipment volume. The intuitive design was praised for simplifying the complexities of international shipping.
This is the most transparent and easy-to-use shipping platform I have ever used. It has completely streamlined my import business.